District Choice Programs and Schools

File: IGBK-R

EligibilityChoice schools are open to all students that reside within the Lake Washington School District. Families must have established residency in the district by the choice school application deadline in order to be eligible for participation in the choice school lottery. The children of district employees who reside outside of the district boundary are eligible for enrollment per RCW 28A.225.225 and therefore eligible for the choice school lottery. Students currently enrolled in a choice school are not prohibited from applying to different choice schools, however, it is preferred that students remain at their current choice school.

Application ProcessStudents must apply to be considered for enrollment in a choice school. All choice schools will hold an informational session prior to the application due date. Attendance at informational sessions is not required as part of the application, lottery, or enrollment processes. Choice school applications will be developed and published by the district. Application due dates will be established annually by the district and posted on the district website. Incomplete or late applications will not be included in the lottery process.

LotteryAll choice school lottery processes will be conducted centrally by the district. Lottery numbers will be assigned using a random number generator. Students will be assigned a unique lottery number for each school to which the student applied. The district will communicate lottery results directly to the school.

NotificationSchools will directly notify families of their child’s lottery number. If offered placement in a choice school, parents must respond within the school’s established timeframe. Timelines for response will be no less than 24 hours. When placement in a choice school is accepted, the student will be immediately removed from all other choice school waitlists.

Supplemental Information and ActivitiesOnce a student accepts placement at a choice school, the school may request completion of supplemental information or participation in supplemental activities such as additional registration materials, academic histories, work samples, student and parent statements, and/or a site visit. Specific timelines for returning supplemental information or participating in supplemental activities will be determined by the individual school. Should a family not return supplemental materials or participate in supplemental activities in a timely manner, the building administrator will make a plan with the family to complete the supplemental information or participate in the supplemental activities.

WaitlistAfter choice school rosters are finalized, each school will establish a waitlist based on the lottery numbers previously assigned. When openings become available, the school will offer placement to the next student on the waitlist. The family will have 24 hours to accept or reject placement. If the family declines placement at the choice school, the student will be removed from the school’s waitlist.

Each choice school will maintain a continuous waitlist. Students will be moved to the next grade level each year and will maintain their lottery placement throughout the duration of the school’s grade offerings unless placement was previously declined.

Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)Choice schools are open to all students. Students with IEPs will be entered into the choice school pursuant to the lottery process unless the IEP team has determined alternative placement. Placement decisions and service options are made by the IEP team in accordance with federal and state law and district procedures (IGB-R).

Quest Eligibility and Choice School EnrollmentStudents may concurrently participate in the choice school and Quest application processes. Should a student be offered placement at a choice school, he/she may continue with the Quest selection process. Should the student be offered and accept placement in full-time Quest, he/she will be removed from the choice school and will not be placed on the waitlist.

If a student in full-time Quest applies for a choice school and is offered placement at the choice school, the student may transfer to the choice school and relinquish the Quest placement.

Students may be enrolled in full-time Quest and remain on the choice school(s) waitlist. Should the student be offered placement at a choice school, the family shall have 24 hours to accept or deny placement. Should the family not accept placement at the choice school, the student would be removed from the waitlist. Should the family accept placement at the choice school, the student will be removed from all other choice school waitlists.

Students may participate in elementary pull-out Quest while enrolled at an elementary choice school.

Elementary Sibling PreferenceIn recognition of the level of parent involvement and growth and developmental level of elementary age students, elementary choice school enrollment policies allow for sibling preference for students concurrently enrolled (i.e. grades 1-4) with a previously admitted sibling. Sibling preference does not apply when enrollment to the choice program or school is limited to students from the school at which the choice program or school resides.

Sibling preference is initiated only during the lottery process into the first available grade at the elementary choice school. Should the number of students with concurrently enrolled siblings in the first available grade with older siblings in the school exceed the number of spaces available, a waitlist shall be established.

Twins and MultiplesIn the case of twins/multiples, each student must enter the lottery as an individual and each student will receive an individual lottery number. There is no guarantee that twin/multiples will receive admittance into an elementary choice school. However, due to the elementary sibling preference policy (outlined above), should one twin/multiple be admitted via sibling preference or lottery into the first available grade, the other twin/multiple siblings will also be accepted, provided there is space available.

Secondary Sibling Preference and Twins/MultiplesSecondary choice school programs are designed to meet individual secondary student interests. In recognition of the unique interests of individual students, no sibling preference is provided in secondary choice school lottery processes. In the case of twins/multiples, each student enters the lottery as an individual even if he/she has a twin or sibling applying for the same school. There is no guarantee that secondary twins or siblings will receive admittance into a choice school.

Donations and Volunteer HoursTypically, choice schools do not conduct traditional student/parent fundraisers. In lieu of fundraising, schools often request a voluntary annual donation to fund extra projects and excursions that are typically funded. Each school shall communicate and make available financial scholarships/assistance for families that cannot make an annual donation.

Parent and family involvement is an important aspect of the district’s choice schools. As such, families may be asked to contribute volunteer hours on an annual basis.

No volunteer hour and/or donation requests may be used as a condition of student placement or continued enrollment.

Statements about the district's legal role in providing public education and the underlying principles on which the district operates. The policies here provide a setting for all of the school board's other policies.

Policies about the school district management, the administrative structure and school building and department administration. Here, you will find the personnel policies that pertain to one the superintendent. See the Personnel section below for all other personnel policies.

Policies in this section govern non-instructional services and programs, including business management, such as safety, buildings and their management (not construction), transportation and food services.

The personnel policies are divided in three main subdivisions: topics that pertain to all employees; policies that pertain to professional personnel, including administrators, who must hold educational certification by the state to serve in their positions; and policies pertaining to all other personnel.

Policies concerning students are found here: admissions, attendance, rights and responsibilities, conduct, discipline and health and welfare services. Policies pertaining to the curriculum, instruction of students, and extracurricular programs are in the Instruction section.

This section governs the district's relationship with other education agencies: other school districts, regional or service districts, private schools, colleges and universities, educational research organizations and state and national education agencies.

The Lake Washington School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, gender, marital status, creed, religion, honorably discharged veteran, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability, in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Complete policy statement